Currently, in the art, a minimally invasive spinal fusion procedure, for example, is accomplished by threading pedicle screws to pedicles of adjacent vertebrae defining a spinal segment using screw extenders. A distraction device is attached to the screw extenders of a spinal segment the surgeon desires to distract. Distraction force is applied. While the distraction is ongoing, a measurement tool is inserted through the hollow tubes to measure the distance between the pedicles.
In some cases, the surgeon desires to compress the segment. The distraction tool is not usable to compress the segment, but rather a compression tool is used. Similarly, to measure the distance between the pedicles after compression is applied, a measurement tool is inserted through the screw extenders.
In other cases, the distance between pedicles is measured without any compression or distraction force to yield an approximate measurement of the distance between pedicles.
Current compression tools and distraction tools are bulky and inflexible in their positioning and use. They require multiple steps to assembly multiple components to the screw extenders. Likewise, existing measurement tools require multiple steps to assemble multiple components to the screw extenders. Improved tools are needed to distract, compress, and measure a vertebral segment.